STORE OWNERS FEEL PINCH OF PADRES’ UNIFORM GIVEAWAY

When the Padres unveiled their Youth Baseball Initiative, donating 11,600 jerseys and hats to more than 800 local baseball and softball teams, it seemed to be a win-win situation for everyone involved.

“(The kids) were very excited when they first heard about it,” said John Krogman, an assistant coach for Rancho Peñasquitos Little League.

Make that almost everyone. The Padres were pleased because youth teams would be wearing their jerseys. The leagues were happy because money normally spent on uniforms could be used for other expenses. But some local sporting goods store owners weren’t too happy.

“It didn’t do the community one drop of good,” said Al Treadwell, owner of Al’s Sport Shop in Santee. “They didn’t use their head.”

Treadwell, along with Stan Davis, who owns Sportland in El Cajon, said the Padres’ jersey donations have been a blow to their businesses.

Stores like Sportland and Al’s Sport Shop typically order youth baseball gear in June or July for the following spring. Davis said he found out about the club’s plan to donate jerseys in September. Treadwell said he found out in November. Both stores ended up with inventory they couldn’t sell.

Davis estimated his store lost $250,000 or 10 to 15 percent of his business because of the Padres’ uniform program. Treadwell said he didn’t know how much revenue he’d lost but estimated it’s around $20,000.

Sue Botos, Padres vice president of community relations, said the situation was something the team didn’t anticipate.

“It was truly an unintended consequence,” she said.

Botos said she has tried to communicate with sporting goods stores about supplying other gear to the leagues since the jerseys didn’t come with numbers, pants, socks or belts. She said the idea wasn’t received as well as she had hoped.

Davis, aware that the Padres plan to expand the program, isn’t optimistic.

“That could be the final straw for my store,” he said.

The Padres say they will communicate with youth baseball leadership on ways to improve the program.